Five Students Split $15,000 in Scholarships from University Women of Flagler

The University Women of Flagler Saturday awarded $15,000 in scholarships to five graduating seniors from Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School.

The five students are Athena Gonzalez (who will be attending Stetson University), Najare Mone Johnson (University of South Florida), Amanda Hok (University of Florida), Emily Bell (Gustavus Adolphus College) and Briana Rodriguez (University of South Florida). Each recipient received $3,000.

For the first time, UWF acquired a benefactor in 2016, who donated a substantial sum to the organization’s Scholarship Fund. The organization honored the benefactor during the May 21 Scholarship luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn, where the five scholarship winners received their awards.

The University Women of Flagler was founded in September 2006 and currently has approximately 110 members. The organization is comprised of women with at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Its primary purpose is to give scholarships to local young women graduating high school.

In order to garner the funds necessary to that end, UWF has held various fundraising events over the years – fashion shows, an afternoon tea, days of games, murder mystery dinners and, this year 2016, the staging of “Late Night Catechism,” the off-Broadway show, at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center.

Aside from its regular monthly meetings, UWF members also participate in several interest groups which meet once each month, including a book discussion group, a group of women who meet at each others’ homes for lunch and camaraderie, and a group that visits local historic or cultural sites and have lunch at a nearby restaurant. Participants donate money at each of these events for the Scholarship Fund.